EFFECT OF NEUROTOXIN DSP4 ON EEG POWER SPECTRA IN THE RAT ACUTE MODELOF EPILEPSY

The effect of the adrenergic neurotoxin N-(chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-brom obenzylamine (DSP4) on electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was stud ied in the model of epilepsy induced by systemic application of penici llin (1 000 000 IU/kg, i.p). DSP4 (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was administrated t o male Wistar rats, while the control animals were rats from the same litters. EEC activity was recorded in acute and chronic experiments 3 or 4 weeks after DSP4 treatment, before and after penicillin administr ation. Occasional locus coeruleus (LC) stimulation served as an electr ophysiological test of DSP4 toxic effect. EEG power spectra in DSP4 tr eated animals showed a tendency to be greater in lower frequency bands than in controls before penicillin administration; there was almost n o effect of electrical LC stimulation, regardless on penicillin treatm ent. In the model of epilepsy, the mean total EEG power spectra were g reater in the period of 135-330 min after penicillin administration, a s well as during 345-540 min, in DSP4 treated animals as compared to t he controls. It seems that neurotoxin DSP4 is an optimal tool for stud ying the removal of LC influence in the acute model of epilepsy. It is also suggested that norepinephrine (NE) may have a modulatory role in the systemic penicillin epilepsy.